


Laundry Day (See You There)

by thequeenwhowaited



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Professors, Awkward Flirting, College Student Keith (Voltron), Dom Keith (Voltron), Dom/sub Undertones, First Dates, Fluff, Jealousy, Keith is Moronsexual, Laundry, Light Dom/sub, Lingerie, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mutual Pining, Pet Names, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Shiro is a Human Disaster, Shiro is a Prof, Sub Shiro (Voltron), Teasing, but they aren’t at the same college, terrible laundry practices
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 23:08:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20455061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequeenwhowaited/pseuds/thequeenwhowaited
Summary: When Shiro’s laundry machine unexpectedly breaks, he findshimself having to make an emergency trip to the laundromat.It’s just another late night for Keith...wrangling socks out of washers and cleaning out lint traps. That is until a Handsome Stranger walks through the front door.





	Laundry Day (See You There)

**Author's Note:**

> Adulting is Hard. Writings fics as a coping mechanism for Adulting is Easier.

⭕️  
Keith always loved the smell of a laundry mat. The mix of a million different laundry detergents that ended up smelling like something tropical and floral and wet cotton. 

The smell was fine. That smell was home. 

The linoleum white tile with the blue specks was home. 

The purple neon signs advertising Laundry and Dry Cleaning… the plastic blue benches… all of that was home and Keith loved them. 

It was the humidity from wet laundry being dried that Keith despised… especially after a long day and deep into the late/super early morning shift…. especially when he was in the belly of a machine that had gotten yet another sock somehow wrapped around its drum and locked it into place. 

Keith could either take the whole damn thing apart, which would be a complete fucking headache just for a sock or look like an ass for a couple of minutes trying to pull a sock out of a dryer. 

So he chose a couple of minutes of dumbassery, to save himself the headache. 

But it was a long couple of minutes and an even larger headache because this damn sock was practically twisted up into it. 

“Umm… Excuse me?”

“Lance I swear to Christ, I don’t care if you need to only use Blue for your precious shirts or whatever. She has a damn sock stuck in her drum and I’m doing my best.” Keith said, frustrated, coming up for some air and wiping his forehead with his shirt collar. 

“Your uh…. machine is broken?”

Keith frantically dropped his shirt. 

This man…. was not Lance. 

Not in the slightest. 

The pure opposite of Lance. 

Tall as fuck, jacked as shit, handsome as sin and standing in front of Keith with this cute and confused look on his face. 

It was a little early in the day to be meeting the man of your dreams but Keith wasn’t complaining. 

“That’s why I’m sweating in it, yeah.”

Nice going Keith. Any more smart answers you want to give. 

“I meant the quarter machine.” The man crossed his arms nervously, motioning backwards at the red machine in the corner with his wide shoulders... the metal shoulder all shiny and chrome and winking at him from the neon lights reflecting off of it. “The quarter machine is broken. I tried putting a twenty in it and I didn’t get any quarters back”

Good God, he’s an idiot. A fucking idiot. 

Keith wanted his babies. 

“I guess you didn’t read the Out of Order sign then?” Keith dropped the screwdriver in the toolbox and walked over to Red, shifting through his keys on his belt. 

“Ah, no. I guess I didn’t.” Bashful was a good look on the handsome stranger. 

“Red will eat your money sometimes… hence the out of order sign.” Keith smiles sincerely, messing with the quarters that got stuck in the slot. 

“Noted for the future.”

Yeah bashful was a real good fucking look on him. 

“There you go.” Keith handed him the quarters. “If you need me, I’ll be back in Blue.”

“Thanks.” Handsome stranger said, palming the quarters and putting them in his sweatpants. “I’ll be uh-“ he pointed to the other machine. 

God. That ass. 

Keith muffled his groan with a cough and a bang against the dryer’s lid corner. 

The guy turned around in confusion but Keith waved him off, biting his knuckles as soon as he turned around again. 

Back to Blue. Back to Mysteries he could solve. 

But one more look wouldn’t hurt. 

God, look at him. 

Everyone else that came to the mat literally looked like they rolled in a pile of laundry and made it work as best they could. 

Keith got that. It’s laundry day. You gotta do what you gotta do. He’d seen his fair share of pajama bottoms and uggs and messy up-dos held together with no. 2 pencils. 

But this man. 

Wearing loose fitting sweatpants and a lime green tank top… and fucking boat shoes… Boat Shoes! and a snapback for the local college team… his attire fit in with the regulars but that face was in no way regular. 

And it was currently scrunched up, and bless his heart, he couldn’t figure out how to turn on the machine. 

“Set it up how you like then the quarters.” Keith said softly. “Don’t forget the detergent.”

The handsome stranger looked up, sheepishly with a shy smile “Thanks.”

God. 

He’s so- so- gorgeous. Why was this his life right now?

Keith went back to sock wrangling. 

Keith liked the late shift because he didn’t have to deal with people. He heard enough stories from his cousin Romelle about the moms who let their kids go crazy and the college kids trying to overload the washers. 

No thank you. 

Mamora was close enough to the college campus that they got the random students and other college associates but far enough were they weren’t packed to the brim every time the dorm washers went on the fritz… which was often. 

So where did handsome stranger fit in? 

He looked too old to be a student. TA maybe? Professor mayyybbbbeeee? 

Professor Handsome Stranger had a nice ring to it. 

Keith lifted the drum with his shoulder and jammed the screwdriver into the space between the drum and the frame. The space he created might be good enough to wedge that sock out. 

He shimmed it back and forth, easing the sock out and wincing when the metal groaned. 

But the sock was free! Success!

He sank back on his heels sighing in having done a good job. 

And startled realizing that handsome stranger had been behind him the entire time. 

“You still need help or-?”

Handsome stranger flushed. 

Yeah, handsome stranger was definitely checked out his ass. 

“Well I wanted to thank you properly for the… help.” He cleared his throat and extended his hand, “My name is Takashi Shirogane but people usually call me Shiro. Can I buy you a coffee from next door or uh- a Mt. Dew?”

He motioned to the green painted vending machine that sold a variety of drinks which included the infamous Mt. Dew.

“Keith.” Smiling seemed like a natural feat around Shiro. “Mt. Dew taste like shit… no offense to Green. But coffee sounds great.”

“I can do coffee.”

I can do you.

“Sounds great. Black. And insist on straight black or Lance will try to put that weird shit in it again.” 

“Sure. Straight Black.” Shiro said while a smile. “You need anything else while I’m over there? Pastry? Sandwich?” He continued to offer while slowly retreating by walking backwards. 

Your dick would be nice but I’m open to suggestions. 

“No, it’s too much. It’s just laundry, Shiro. No big deal.” Keith said. “But look out.”

“Uh wut-“

He crashed fully into the metal laundry basket and fumbled with it trying to keep it upright. 

Can Shiro be any cuter? Keith had made fun of Lance or Matt for doing the same thing for the millionth time… but when it was Shiro, it was cute. Really fucking cute. 

Keith giggled, because that’s what he did went confronted by cute guys apparently, “Careful there, Shiro. Don’t want to hurt yourself too bad before you get that coffee.”

Shiro blushed, “Aw, you just want your coffee.”

“It’s damn good coffee.” Keith said with a grin. He knew that Shiro was fishing for compliments but he wouldn’t make it that easy. 

Shiro just smiled and walked out properly. “Be right back.”

Keith collapsed to the floor as soon as Shiro was out of sight. 

“Holy shit.” 

His heart was beating a million miles a minute and the corners of his mouth ached from smiling so damn much.

This just doesn’t happen to people like Keith. This just doesn’t happen period. 

But it felt good. It felt really really good. 

“Shiro.” He said slowly, tracing the way his lips formed around the name and blushing bright red, “Shiro.” 

⭕️

“Holyyyy shit.” 

Shiro’s heart felt like it was pounding out of his chest like one of those old Saturday morning cartoons. 

When his washer broke, Shiro was close to clueless. 

Sure, he had two doctorates in astrophysics and engineering but that didn’t mean shit when it came to practical things like cooking and laundry or paying his bills on time. 

Shiro had been eating box Mac and cheese for his non-campus meals since he was old enough to reach the stove. The college fed them for free for being a part of the faculty so it just made sense to eat on campus.

It was practical. Logical. 

But it was times like these were he hated not learning the basics. He just doesn’t know how to do laundry! That’s perfectly normal! During undergrad, He just let it pile up until it reached the ceiling and later Adam did the laundry for him in graduate school. Now he paid a company to deal with everything. 

It didn’t account for times like these. 

He was a grown man. He could haul his grown man butt down to the laundry mat and do some laundry. 

It couldn’t be that hard. 

But It was super hard. Holy shit it was hard. 

Shiro looked down at the quarter machine that was not giving him any quarters. 

He’s worked on rovers that went to Mars. A completely different planet… How can he be defeated by one quarter machine? 

Shiro was man enough to admit that he needed help but there didn’t seem to be anyone around-. 

Hold on. 

There was an ass- Person. There was a Person. A Human Being bent over into a dryer and trying to remove a sock?

But damn… that was a nice ass… real real nice. It filled out the pair of uniform issued khakis well. Shiro was surprised. 

Laundry Shiro. That’s what we’re here for. Laundry. 

And from that ass came the prettiest person Shiro had ever seen. 

And then he spoke.

And Shiro’s brain went all ucrhuesneyedimednduebdurjwdbyedur. 

And Shiro’s tongue went all imefnrfurfybruufrrfyrfjehnff. 

And now he was standing at the counter for the coffees telling all of this aloud over the phone to Pidge, his TA and very close childhood friend, who was notably laughing her ass off at him. 

“Pidge be serious. I think I’m like… in love with him.”

Pidge gwaffed, “Shiro, don’t be a thirsty fuckboy, just because you saw his supposedly nice ass doesn’t mean you’re in love with him.”

“It was a nice ass.” Shiro responded firmly. “You know I know my asses.”

“Fair. But don’t distract from the point. One good ass does not true love make.” Pidge continued, “Adam had a decent ass and-“

“I know. I know!” Shiro said, exasperated, “But he’s so prettyyyyyyy”

“You said he was on the young side right? How do you know he’s not a student at the college?”

And oh fuck. That was a thought. 

“Nah. Pidge…. Pidge. Katie. No. There’s no way- Nah,” Shiro said elegantly.

“Don’t worry. He’s not.” The barista, Lance as his helpful name tag said, “He takes class online at some weird college because he said and I quote ‘hates interacting with other college-aged students so much that he’d rather stab his eyes out and eat them.”

Shiro grimaced, “How did you know-?”

“You’re really bad at whispering and there’s only one person I know that insists on having straight black coffee at this time despite having over three hundred different combinations.” Lance said rolling his eyes, “I put the pieces together.”

Shiro blushed. “Sorry.”

“It’s chill man. You’re not the first person to gush over Keith and it breaks up the monotony. Your coffee is done!”

Shiro internalized those words real fast… ‘not the first one’ of course he couldn’t be the first one. 

He had eyes. 

Keith was gorgeous so of course he had admirers before. Of course!

“Unfurrow the brows Prof.” Pidge said. “I can hear you furrowing and I don’t want to hear how you got forehead wrinkles over this.” 

“I’m putting you on speaker, behave.” Shiro said, easing the phone out of the crock of his neck to deal with the coffee, dumping a small mountain of sugar in his and closing the lid tightly. 

“Or what, you’ll spank me.”

Shiro looked blankly at the wall, very aware of the weird looks he was getting from the few lone patrons in the store, while Lance tried his best to hide his laughter. 

“Here. Take some of these. They’re his favorites.” Lance managed out between his laughs, packing something in a paper bag, “Good Luck Morgan.”

“But I- thanks man.” Shiro smiled honestly, grabbing the bag like it was made of gold, “Sorry about the-“

“No problem! See you around.” Lance smiled before going back to dealing with the machines. 

“Katie, I’m not going to watch anymore Criminal Minds with you I swear to God.” Shiro said firmly, “And why are you casting me as Morgan? I’m at least Rossi” 

“Takashiiiii” She whined back, “I can’t *not* reference something! You set it up perfectly! Yeah you got that sexy salt and pepper look sure but you’re the perfect Morgan right now. Sexy. Confident. Smart. A pretty Smile. Plus everyone knows that Morgan has a thing with Reid and this Keith seems very Reid-y.”

“Yeah but he also has a thing with Garcia.” Shiro continued after taking a sip of his sugary creation and dumping more sugar on top. “And you and I never had a thing.”

He took her off speaker and walked carefully out of the door, waving bye at Lance. 

“Shiro, we work together. Of course, The kids have shipped us together.” 

“But never a thing thing. Pidge, do you have a thing thing for me?” 

“Shiro, are you even listening to yourself right now? Stop avoiding the topic. Ask him out.” 

Shiro could tell she was rolling her eyes. 

“I can’t just ask him out! He thinks I’m an idiot who doesn’t know how to do laundry.”

“But you are an idiot who didn’t know how to do your own laundry.” Pidge replied, “Don’t worry Shiro… that’s just a portion of who you are ... not every aspect of you. Besides, weren't you just saying that you wanted a meet-cute? This is a perfect meet-cute… you’ll laugh about it someday.”

“Stop referencing and help me.” Shiro pleaded. 

“Be yourself you doofus. You’re already buying him coffee… that’s practically a date already.”

“Nah…” Shiro’s cheeks hurt from smiling, thinking about what it would be like to take Keith on a date while also trying not to think about taking Keith on a date. “It’s not a datttteeee date.”

“Shiro I know you. Hang up the phone, stop planning your wedding in your head, and talk to the guy.” Pidge said firmly, “He’s just a guy. You’re just a guy. Go guy together”

“Okay, Okay.” Shiro sighed, “Wish me luck at least?”

“Victory Or Death.” 

“A simple good luck wasn’t good enough huh?” 

“Or DEATHHHH Shirogane.” 

“Bye Pidge.”

Shiro hung up the phone. 

He could do this. 

Keith was just a guy. 

No big deal. No big deal. 

Oh this was a big fucking deal. 

Is this his fate? To constant walk in with Keith on his hands and knees all the damn time? 

Why is he on his knees again? Just why? 

“I brought the… coffee?” Shiro called out as clearly as he could praying that the dry spot in his throat wasn’t too audible. 

Keith rolled up like a cat in front of the red quarter machine, stretching his spine out before rest on his heels and peering up at Shiro, “Did you get lost on your way there?”

That grin was going to be the death of him… it made Keith’s face stretched out and his dimple pop… it made Shiro want to do unspeakable things but it also made him smile subconsciously in return… he wanted to do everything in his power to keep that smile permanently etched on that perfect face. 

“Well Lance told me some fascinating information.” Shiro said offering the cup out. “I couldn’t miss out on that.”

Keith narrowed his eyes at him, “The Kool-Aid Incident was a one time thing and he needs to shut the fuck up about that.”

Shiro quirked his head in confusion, “Kool-Aid?”

“Long story. Don’t trust a word he says. He’s a liar and-“ Keith took a sip from the cup, “He constantly tries to poison me with his sugary coffee crap… ugh GOD that’s so gross.”

“Wait that might be mine?” Shiro took a sip of the black and full body shuddered at the bitterness. “Yup definitely mine. Here.”

Shiro became distinctly aware of the indirect kiss… his core kind of melting a little bit. He was a romantic. Sue him. 

“Shiro, you have very questionable tastes in coffee.” Keith said, sighing in relief when he drank his. “If you can even call that coffee..”

“Hey! Don’t be rude! Or I won’t give you gift number 2.” Shiro taunted, leaning over the machine to wave the paper bag at Keith.

Keith dramatically gasped, leaping to his feet, “No, you didn’t.”

Shiro opened the bag and took a big whiff before holding it over his head “Ooo and it smells divine.”

Keith vaulted to the top of the washing machine in-between them, kneeling to reach the bag. “Give it over Shiro.”

Shiro gasped at how quickly Keith moved and the stretch of skin that appeared between the bottom of Keith’s black uniform polo and black skinny jeans. He had seen that happy trail earlier when Keith had wiped his face off but seeing it up close was a whole different story. “Kei- what...be careful!”

Shiro wrapped his hand around Keith’s waist and something in him was delighted to realize that his hand could easily span across it. 

Keith’s hand was braced on his chest and Shiro could feel his weight leaning forward. 

He looked up to see Keith already staring at him, pupils blown making his eyes look like two black holes ringed with something that reminded Shiro of a perfectly clear night and a billion stars look back at him. 

That braid had fallen forward and some of the strands had fallen out of place, framing Keith’s face perfectly. 

And to top it all off, Shiro was eye level with his exposed clavicle that was practically begging for Shiro to mark and that quick heartbreak that seemed to be going a million miles an hour. 

He was beautiful. 

In his frozen moment, Keith easily grabbed the bag and waved it in Shiro’s face, “Too slow big guy.”

Shiro exhaled slowly to slow his own frantic heartbeat down and removed his arm so Keith could sit more comfortably on top of the washer, “You got me there. What are those things anyway?”

“Croissant.” Keith said, groaning around the first bite and smiled with his mouth full, “With schmear, pesto, sprouts, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, and thick cut bacon.”

“Extra.” He looked at Shiro deliberately as he licked his lips, “Thick.”

Shiro choked on his coffee with his laughter which caused Keith to also laugh, licking the cream cheese off of his thumb. 

“Well, that’s sound amazing.”

“Yeah. It totally is, have a bite.” Keith offered the sandwich in Shiro’s direction. 

Shiro knew that Keith was flirting with him and two could play at that game. 

Instead of grabbing the sandwich, Shiro leaned into Keith’s space between his spread legs, bracketing Keith in with his arms and bending over to take a bite. He licked his lips and wiped the cream cheese off with his metal thumb. 

“You’re right.... It is delicious.”

Keith leaned forward, taking a bite in the exact same place that Shiro did, “Your laundry is done, big guy.”

Oh it was on. 

But first, laundry. 

Oh, fuckkkkkkkk. 

It was pink. Because of course it was. 

It was all pink. 

All of his white shirts.. the button ups… underwear. All of it. 

Bright fucking Pink. 

Keith lightly nudged him with his foot after wiping the crumbs off of his lap. “I don’t know if anyone has told you this but You’re really bad at laundry Shiro.”

“I don’t know…” Shiro said, slapping one of the wet shirts against his chest, “I think I look good in pink.”

“Hmm…” Keith took the wet sleeves and drape it like a scarf but his eyes said something different, something more predatory like he was itching to devour Shiro alive “I agree… I think pink is your color Shiro.”

Shiro smiled, peeling the wet pink shirt off and slapping it down with the rest. “Well, at least I have one fan.”

“Sure.” Keith bit his lower lip and eyed him, the damp t-shirt revealing the stiff planes of Shiro’s stomach and his perky nipples, “One of your *biggest* fans for sure”

Shiro sighed and crossed his arms subconsciously to fend off the chill unaware that it just made his muscles flex, shaking his head, “Laundry will be the death of me.”

“Well, we can’t be perfect Shiro.” Keith said with another smirk, patting his bicep,“But this is fixable. Gonna cost you a couple of quarters tho.”

Shiro jangled his pockets, “Good Thing I got loads from this cute guy.”

“Ah,” Keith said, pretending to think studiously, “Is that the only thing he gave you?”

“Well, I’ve been trying to get his number but I think I kind of blew it.” Shiro said in a stage-whisper. 

“Why do you say that?” Keith replied, slowly letting his hand climb up Shiro’s arm “He gave you loads ... of quarters… that has to count for something...”

“Yeah… that was really sweet of him.” Shiro said, smiling, moving close enough so that he was flush to the washer, “But I just don’t know… he seems like he knows his way around a washing machine and I’m kinda clueless-“

“Shiro shut up and kiss me.” Keith said impatiently, wrapping his hands around that thick neck. 

Shiro smirked, moving Keith’s bangs back before cupping the back of his head and pulling him forward into a kiss. 

The kiss felt like the lingering static electricity from the dryer…. they were definitely attracted to each other and it was obvious from how reluctant they were to be apart. 

One innocent kiss turned into a second not-so-innocent kiss turned into a third and a fourth all not-so-innocent kisses until Shiro was sucking on Keith’s neck to create yet another bruise and Keith was beautifully flushed and leaning into Shiro’s hold around his waist. 

Keith tried to move as close as possible to Shiro until Shiro was holding him up and Keith was clinging on to those broad shoulders. 

And then Shiro bit him… not deep enough to bleed but hard enough that Keith could feel those teeth marks. Which caused Keith to let something out that sounded like a whimper, a keen, and a wounded kitten all at once. Keith slammed his hand against his mouth and pulled back looking incredulously at Shiro. 

Shiro mirrored that surprised look and gwaffed, not expecting Keith being capable of making that sound. His shoulder shocked and he laughed into the crook of Keith’s thoroughly bruised up neck. 

Keith flushed, indignantly “Shiro!” 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry!” Shiro said, trying to hold back his later, “It was kinda adorable Keith.”

Keith huffed, getting off of the washer and walking away so he could collect himself, “You’re a menace and I’m glad your laundry is pink.”

“Aw, baby. Don’t be mad.” Shiro said, grabbing onto Keith’s arm his eyes pleading. 

Keith just stared at him, rocked at the pet name but unable to keep that dopey smile on his face. “You-you just-?”

“I’m sorry, Did you prefer another nickname? Sweetheart? Angel? Kitten?” Shiro listed off as Keith grew more and more red. 

“Do you always come onto poor laundromat attendants that you just met?” Keith asked, huffing out his breath so that his bangs flew up.. crossing his arms to stare at him. 

It would normally be extremely intimidating but Shiro knew what Keith sounded like when someone was worshiping his neck and that pulled collar revealed the fast blooming results already. 

“No. Only the hot ones.” Shiro said with a genuine smile. 

“Menace.” 

“Lemme take you out to dinner to make up for it.” 

Keith smiled, “Very smooth. But I’m not that easy Shiro.” 

Shiro just raised his eyebrows, licking the edge of his thumb and looking pointedly at those bruises he left literally five minutes ago on Keith’s neck. 

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything kitten.” 

“You didn’t have to. Your damn eyebrows did.”

“My eyes are down here, Keith.”

Keith sneered, loading the machine with Shiro’s pink clothing and pouring bleach and something from another bottle into the appropriate settings. He stuck his hand into Shiro’s pants and took out the quarters while sticking his tongue out. After slotted in the quarters, Keith realized what he had done and flushed from his face down to his chest. 

He had done that. To a customer. 

Kolivan was going to kill him. 

“I’m sorry.” Keith said meekly. “I kind of-“

“ ‘Kind of-‘ “ Shiro air quoted, leaning against the washing machine with one hip, thoroughly amused by how Keith had just gotten into his personalized space… practically had his hand down Shiro’s pants and was trying to apologize for it. It was bold. Shiro fell further in love.

Keith fiddled with his braid, giving Shiro a look, “I’m just nervous okay! We’ve just met, And I’ve never really done the whole… flirting thing. Or the dating thing? And you need to stop looking at me like that Shiro… it’s very distracting.”

“Why don’t you make it up to me by going to dinner?” Shiro said hopefully, bouncing a little on his heels like a puppy begging for a treat. “I can do brunch instead if that’s more your thing. Coffee?”

“You’re insufferable.” 

“I just like this thing going on between us.” Shiro said honestly, with a shrug, “I’d like to get to know the beautiful brazen guy who shoved his hands down my pants just to fix my pink laundry.”

Keith groaned, “Please don’t mentioned that. I’ll go on a million dates with you just for you to forget that ever happened!”

“Well, I’d rather you’d go on dates because you liked me back but I guess hush money will do.” Shiro’s eyes were sparkling with mischief. 

Keith shoved his shoulder, “You’re Terrible. And you can’t even do laundry properly! How could I possibly like… you.”

“You wound me.” Shiro said dramatically, holding a hand to his heart and falling backwards. 

Keith started to laugh, clenching his stomach, “C’mon Shiro. This is the stuff happens in the movies… turning your clothes pink. How do you not know how to do laundry?”

“Well, I guess I need a teacher then!” Shiro perked up, putting on his TV show announcer voice, “Someone who really knows their stuff. Who can tell the difference between-“

“Shiro. Oh my god. Stop.” Keith said, unable to stop smiling, his jaw was beginning to ache and it felt good. 

“Okay, I know it’s pathetic, Who doesn’t know how to do laundry?” Shiro laughed, “I just really never had time for laundry between classes and work and PT… it kind of just got thrown into the background.” 

His smile grew soft, “But I’m happy it led me to you. I can take a million loads of pink laundry just to meet you.”

Keith flushed, unsure of what to do with his hands and settling on crossing them over his chest, “That’s gonna end up being really expensive Shiro.”

He shrugged his shoulders, looking over at Keith with a shy grin, “Eh. I think it’d be worth it.” 

Keith shook his head, blushing away. “Insufferable romantic.” 

The washer ended saving Keith from answering further. And he helped Shiro load his clothes into the dryer before bailing with some excuse about how he needed to go back to work. Shiro took it with a nod and a smile, seeing how Keith was getting slightly uncomfortable with his attempts to flirt. He moved aside and let Keith pass as he dominated over half the entire bench to pull out his phone to text someone. 

Keith booked it to the employee only break room, his heart racing and his hands impossibly sweaty. 

He liked Shiro. He liked his cheesy, corny romantic nature. He liked how he filled that tank top and how he didn’t have a clue about doing laundry but also that he was man enough to admit that. His eyes seemed kind and they lit up when he smiled fully. 

But maybe it was just a delayed sense of gratitude. Because Keith had been the one to help him, Shiro felt obligated to turn on the charm. 

He hoped that wasn’t the case. 

So he turned down the dinner/coffee/lunch/movie date. It was a fluke. Just another guy being really nice.

But Keith also felt the bruises forming on his neck and he definitely lingered way longer than he would if he were helping anyone else. 

No, he had to be sensible. He didn’t even know Shiro… not really. 

Other than the fact that Keith was about *this close* from banging the guy against the washer. 

Keith rubbed his face so he could stop smiling like an idiot and get back to work. He knew the dryers timing so he waited until it was done and then some before going out. 

He was half-disappointed and half-relieved that Shiro had left. He had never given the guy his number… but he didn’t think he would last if Shiro had stayed for another second. 

Oh well, back to quarter machines and removing socks. 

A couple weeks go by without a single sign of Shiro and Keith finally accepts that Shiro probably isn’t going to come back anytime soon. 

He wasn’t the typical laundromat going person and he probably fixed that machine that week… leaving Keith and his machines behind. 

He wasn’t mourning… despite what Romelle was implying and giving him sad eyes over. 

Shiro was just a guy. Sure, he was a very hot guy. But he was a guy. 

But then he frantically walked through the front doors again. 

And Keith felt his heart in his throat and his stomach somewhere in Nopesville. 

Shiro was even more frazzled than last time. And trust, Keith had had their first interaction running constantly through his mind. Shiro was wearing a drenched sweatshirt and precariously low basketball shorts and was carrying soaked laundry in a hamper, dripping water everywhere. Clearly irritated by something and cursing as he was losing socks on his way through the door. 

But the cherry on the cake was... Shiro wore glasses, though they were up on his head instead of on his nose. 

“Can someone help me?” Shiro called out. 

Keith ducked further behind the washers and then cursed at himself for hiding. Shiro was just a guy remember. 

He came out just in time to catch the soaking wet laundry pile, “Woah, there. Are you okay?” 

“Keith!” Shiro lit up and Keith’s heart throbbed, “Thank God you’re here. The hose the washer had a crack in it so it spilled water everywhere and I basically flooded my apartment and now I can’t see for shit because I can’t find my glasses and-“

“Shiro.” Keith placed the basket on one of the washers and tip-toed to remove the glasses off of Shiro’s forehead and presenting them to him, “Here. Slow down. What happened?” 

“Oh my god, you’re a lifesaver! You literally saved my life. I thought they were gone forever.” He sighed, rubbing his face against his hand, “My apartment flooded because I tried to do laundry.”

Keith blushed and then frowned, “It’s not that big of a deal. You would have found them eventually… but it sounds like you have a bigger problem on your hands.”

Shiro laughed and then groaned looking at the text his phone, “I hate to ask but can you watch my stuff while I go back and deal with the apartment.”

“Sure.” Keith said automatically, because it was Shiro. “No problem.”

“Sorry!” Shiro said, running back to his car and driving away again. “You’re the best!”

And just like the last time, Shiro came into his life like a whirlwind, left a mess behind for Keith to deal with, and then left none the wiser of the mess he left behind. 

Keith felt his heart pounding and he was pretty certain his face was permanently flushed whenever he was in close proximity of Shiro. 

He had barely spoken a max of 20 words… maybe less. And yet Shiro had just- acted like they were just as close as before. Despite the weeks of absolutely nothing. 

No. No. Keith was not going to go down this road again. 

He separated his emotions into neat little boxes and stored them in the Do not Disturb portion of his brain. He didn’t have time for Shiro and Shiro related emotions. Nope. Not him. 

He properly sorted out the clothing into the two washing machines, darks in one and white in the other… it was a miracle that Shiro hadn’t turned anything else of his pink or blue. 

The flash of pink in the pile caught Keith’s attention and he laughed a little, remembering that night. 

Only it wasn’t one of the pink shirts. It was a g-strap. 

Keith dropped it like it had burned him. 

And when he looked closer it wasn’t the only one. There was little black lace framed thongs and backless boy shorts…. More g-strings in all assorted colors but mostly pinks and pastels and polka dots but the icing on the cake was several black and white and nude lace bralettes with thin spaghetti straps… Every item made Keith grow pinker and pinker. 

He worked at a laundromat. Of course there was going to be underwear. People washed their underwear.

He just didn’t expect Shiro to have such delicate, pretty things mixed in with his t-shirts. 

Were these even his? They could be his girlfriends. The thought soured in his mouth. 

And she was going to kill Shiro if her things were ruined in the washing machine, so Keith diligently picked them out of the pile and into a separate pile… hoping that the delicate cycle would be delicate enough for all that lace. 

He set all the loads and went back to work, sweeping up the lint from the dryers and wiping up the spilled detergent. Anything and everything to keep from thinking about Shiro and those… intimate things… in any context. Especially, Shiro possibly and potentially wearing said things. 

Yeah, definitely not thinking about that image at all… not the way his pecs would fill out the bralettes like a pair of tits or how his perfect, drool worthy ass would look in those backless boy shorts. 

Keith let out a steady exhale, leaning heavily on the mop, thoroughly hating how turned on he got from his little fantasies. Shiro didn’t deserve that. He deserved to do his laundry in peace. 

But the further he worked, the more worked up he got. Cursing at himself the entire time and nearly jumping out of his skin when the washer was done. 

He blindly threw the first two loads into the washer and then hesitated at the lingerie. They really shouldn’t go into the dryer. 

Keith paused for a second, holding one of them up for a tag or any laundry instructions on them at all. 

That’s when Shiro came back and he immediately flushed at the sight of Keith casually handling his pastel pink thong. 

“Keith!” Shiro squeak. “What are you-?”

“ShiRo!” Keith burned equally as red and he threw them back into the washing machine with the rest and clearing his throat like nothing had happened, “Shiro. I was just looking for instructions. I swear! To dry them properly.”

“You did-“ Shiro paused looking at the spinning dryers that contained the rest of his clothes, his voice growing small, “You did my laundry for me?”

“Well, you kind of just dumped them at me and left.” Keith said with a half-heartedly shrug, internalizing the ‘my’... so the lingerie was Shiro’s interesting and his brain immediately dove back into those Shiro wearing lace fantasies like a child making a snow angel, his face getting even brighter. “Unless, you didn’t want me to-“

“Nono!” Shiro said quickly, moving over to where Keith was, “It was just- I um-“

He quickly moved to clear out the washer and put the clothes back into the hamper, the tips of his ears being pink and it made Keith smile, “It’s a little embarrassing-“

“Shiro,” Keith placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder, “It’s okay. It’s just clothes.” 

Internally, Keith would not have agreed with that statement in the slightest and it took everything within him to stop picturing Shiro in nothing but the lingerie. 

Shiro let out a wounded sound, his smile nervous and shaky, “Hey, uh- Remember that cute guy that I told you about? The one who gave me the quarters? Well, I kinda have a crush on him. In fact, I like him ... a lot. But he’s years younger than me… And he’s so sweet… he did my laundry for me… Twice. And only moderately made fun of me for not knowing how to do it. And we haven’t even gone out for a date yet and he’s already seen my underwear so-“

“So take me on a date then.” Keith said firmly, then blushing when he realized what exactly he had just blurted out. Damn his lack of filter. 

Shiro’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. “But I thought-“

Keith slid over so Shiro was the one who was pinned against the washer, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you for weeks, Shiro. I can’t stop thinking of how much of an idiot I was to let you go and I kept wishing you’d just walk back in through the front door. And now, weeks later, after driving me absolutely crazy, you just casually dropped your lingerie…” 

Shiro made a soft sound, “I’m sorry- I” 

“Take me on a date, Shiro.” Keith said, wrapping one arm around his waist and sealing the deal with a short kiss before letting him go, his eyes roaming all over that flushed face, “And I hope you’re wearing one of these for me when you do.” 

Shiro turned bright red but his eyes were soft, “Keith…”

“Shiro…” Keith said casually, “I’m free Fridays.”

“Friday…. Friday.” Shiro said, tasting the way the word sounded, wrapping his hands around Keith’s waist, “Shit! No. I have my Astronomy classes on Friday.”

“So, ditch.” Keith said with a shrug of his shoulders, placing another kiss on Shiro’s neck. “The College will still be there next week.”

“Keith, I’m the Professor.”

Keith’s eyes widened a little then smirked, nuzzling into Shiro’s neck to place another kiss, “So, ditch… Professor. Give your students a day off.”

Shiro felt his knees buckle a little, “Well, I mean- I could.. they did just have midterms and-“

Keith snuck his hand into Shiro’s hair and pulled it slightly, planting another kiss on his lips, lingering a bit longer than last time, “There’s a Good boy.”

Shiro melted, tilting his head back to kiss Keith properly to the sounds of the spinning dryers and the smell of laundry detergent. 

⭕️

Shiro got Pidge to TA for his students. 

Their first date was nice. Intimate. Romantic. Candles were everywhere. 

Shiro got Keith flowers. Keith thought it was adorable. 

Keith got him something nice to wear. It was pink. It was lacy. And Shiro loved it. 

Their first date just a simple movie and dinner at Shiro’s apartment. That’s it.

But then their first date became a sleepover, that had way less sleeping then one would think, and then a second brunch date on Saturday. And then Shiro went to visit him at the laundromat and they made out between the machines.

They just couldn’t get enough of one another… sharing story after story between the kisses and the sex. And there was a lot. Of both. 

Keith couldn’t keep his hands off of Shiro’s ass if you paid him. And Shiro loved seeing Keith’s waist just disappear between his hands. 

Pidge made fun of him on Monday Morning for the amount of bruises on his neck and the dopey expression he couldn’t get off his face all through his class. 

But he couldn’t be happier that his damn machine had broken. Twice. 

Keith was just happy in general…. They made it work. 

And that’s all that mattered in the end… nevermind that The Shiro turned his laundry pink story was a favorite in the Kogane extended household or that Keith had almost gotten in trouble for making out with Shiro after his classes got out because someone thought he went there and was taking advantage. 

It was crazy. It was hectic. 

But it was also perfect and it was them. 

And that’s all that mattered in the end. 

⭕️

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Long time Sheith reader... First Time Sheith writer. And I had a lot of fun! Hopefully, there’s more Sheith in the future but for now, back to my other WIPs! I love every comment and every kudos so please destroy my inbox!


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